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Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
The Oldest, Most Enduring Relationship
If you're guessing that the world's oldest, most enduring relationship is the one with your mother, you are absolutely right - Mother Earth . The human-environment interface begins the moment you are born and continues till you die and perhaps even after death as your remains - whether buried or reduced to ashes - are returned to earth and get regenerated. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Is this a positive, loving relationship or one that is troubled, fraught with contradictions and exploitation? It is both. And it is a powerful one. Media platforms carpet bomb doom news of environmental degradation due to human activity and greed. Everything is now polluted; species are going extinct, potable water is in short supply, glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, the dhobi list is very long. But here is another view that echoes a completely different sentiment, that humanity does not merely destroy nature, we have also enhanced it. So reports ecology and archaeology scholar Stefani Crabtree in the Temple Foundation's newsletter, saying that when we call an ecosystem as being pristine, untouched by humans, we could be wrong. The truth is, when human beings ventured out of Africa and into different parts of the world, we populated every possible ecosystem on earth - some places early on and others, much later. She writes, "There is no ecosystem on earth today that is not shaped by human presence." Human presence has not always had a negative effect. Like other fauna and flora, we, too, are an intrinsic part of nature. Nature created us. To leave humans out of nature in order to conserve it, can be misleading, even harmful. "As European-American pioneers moved west, they often encountered seemingly uninhabited landscapes. What they didn't see were the effects of disease, displacement and forced relocation that had reduced or removed indigenous population from those lands. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The prairies they crossed were not untouched, they were actively managed landscapes, shaped by millennia of indigenous stewardship ," says Crabtree. In the Great Plains, when settlers noticed forests creeping into former prairie lands, they were witnessing the ecological consequences of a disrupted human-environment relationship . Indigenous peoples had long used controlled burning to maintain grasslands, promoting biodiversity and reducing wildfire risk. Crabtree points out that without these traditional practices, the ecosystem began to shift, losing its fire-dependent species and becoming less resilient to environmental stress. Yes, humans have been disrupting ecosystems, but they have also played a part in shaping the natural world as stewards and enablers. The use of fire not only helped humans settle down but also created grasslands and savannahs for grazing animals and growth of new plant species. There are other species besides humans who have been altering the environment for good purposes. Like beavers who build dams and ponds, helping recharge groundwater and controlling floods. Like birds, bees and butterflies, humans too aid in seed dispersal, biodiversity propagation, soil regeneration, and domestication of animals for tilling the soil, keeping predator populations in check. The negative impact seems to have overtaken the positive ones; we need to re-establish a healthy relationship that will allow all of us to grow and regenerate without stepping on one another's toes. " Ecological engineering is not a one-way path to destruction; it could also be a foundation for abundances," points out Crabtree. People could be catalysts for ecological health , and not just agents of extraction. Authored by: Narayani Ganesh ganeshnarayani@ Why Arjun Was Chosen: The Untold Secret of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4, Verse 3
Budapest Times
03-04-2025
- Business
- Budapest Times
Hungary-Slovakia gas interconnector capacity expanded
Minister Szijjártó said both Hungary and Slovakia wanted to see a European-American cooperation based on mutual respect. Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the annual capacity of the interconnector between the gas networks of Hungary and Slovakia has been raised from 2.6bn to 3.5bn cubic metres. During a visit to Komárom, on the border, on Tuesday, Minister Szijjártó joined Peter Ziga, the deputy speaker of Slovakia's National Council. He noted that gas deliveries through the interconnector bound for Slovakia had climbed by 50pc in January-March. As Ukraine has cut off gas transit, Central Europe has faced a serious supply challenge, he added. If the decision to build the interconnector as well as the TurkStream pipeline had not been taken earlier, he said, neither country's gas supply would be secure today. Minister Szijjártó said both Hungary and Slovakia wanted to see a European-American cooperation based on mutual respect.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US must not let Putin out of global isolation, Zelensky says
It is critical that the United States not bring Russian President Vladimir Putin out of political and economic isolation, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Eurovision News on March 26. His comments come a day after Russia and Ukraine agreed to implement a U.S.-brokered partial ceasefire on energy infrastructure attacks and hostilities in the Black Sea. In exchange, the U.S. agreed to expand Russia's access to global markets. "It is very important that America does not help Putin to get out of this global isolation now," Zelensky said during a visit to Paris. "I believe that this is dangerous. This is one of the most dangerous moments." Putin hopes to "remain in power until his death," Zelensky said, and his ambitions are not limited to Ukraine, but could lead to "a direct confrontation with the West." Zelensky urged the and Europe to remain united in pressuring Putin. The Russian leader fears the European-American alliance and hopes to divide it, Zelensky said. Putin also fears his own mortality, he added. "He will die soon, that is a fact, and everything will be over," Zelensky said. Read also: Return of Ukrainian children 'number one' aim in recent ceasefire talks, Zelensky says In a statement issued following the latest round of talks with Russian delegates in Saudi Arabia, the U.S. promised to ease certain economic restrictions on Russia as part of a deal for a limited ceasefire. The U.S. "will help restore Russia's access to the world market for agricultural and fertilizer exports, lower maritime insurance costs, and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions," the statement read. No concessions appear to have been extracted from Russia during the negotiations. Ukraine had already on March 11 accepted Washington's proposal for a complete 30-day ceasefire — provided Russia abided by the same terms — but Moscow refused. Zelensky said the limited Black Sea ceasefire "is definitely a step towards ending the war" but emphasized Ukraine's committment to an unlimited cessation of hostilities. "In general, we were ready for a complete ceasefire." Read also: As Macron talks about building up Europe's defenses, Ukraine awaits for actual results We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
